OETA Story on Aerospace Summit in Tulsa Part II aired on 06/17/09

This is a story that aired on OETA Public Television's The Oklahoma News Report in Tulsa Oklahoma as reported by Cathy Tatom and photojournalist Edwin Wilson. For more information or to contact us, please go to www.oeta.tv

The verbatim script follows below...

OKLAHOMA IS POISED TO BE A LEADER IN THE RAPIDLY EXPANDING UNMANNED AIRCRAFT INDUSTRY.

A LEADER IN THE DEVELOPMENT, BUILDING, AND TESTING OF THE EVERYTHING FROM SIMPLEST TO THE MOST SOPHISTICATED WHOLE AIRCRAFT AND COMPONENT PARTS.

OETA'S CATHY TATOM HAS DETAILS.

MOST OF US ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE MILITARY'S USE OF UNMANNED AIRCRAFT CALLED DRONES, OR UNMMANED AERONAUTICAL VEHICLES.

U-A-V'S FOR SHORT.

THEY FLY OVER TARGETS ARMED WITH CAMERAS AND OR WEAPONS TO GATHER INTELLIGENCE AND TAKE OUT TARGETS.

AT THIS WEEK'S OKLAHOMA AEROSPACE SUMMIT AND EXPO, PARTICIPANTS ARE LEARNING THAT OKLAHOMA IS GEOGRAPHICALLY... AND TECHNOLOGICALLY... SET TO EXPLOIT THE EVER-EXPANDING USES THE MILITARY AND CIVILIAN SECTORS HAVE FOR UNMANNED AIRCRAFT.

Rep Mike Jackson/(R) Enid: "I think as they continue to invest in research and look at the possibilities for UAV's and UAS um unmanned aeronautical systems I think that we could really see a benefit to the State of Oklahoma in terms of our economy."

THAT'S BECAUSE OKLAHOMA HAS RESEARCH AND COMMERICAL ENTITIES READY TO BUILD AND TEST THE AIRCRAFT.

KEN VIERA IS THE ASSOCIATE LAB DIRECTOR FOR O-S-U'S MULTISPECTRAL LABORATORIES.

Ken Viera/Assoc. Lab Director: "We're part and parcel to a number of large federal contracts and also are starting to work with many of the actual commercial entities that build UAV platforms and their subsystems."

WITHIN WEEKS THE LAB WILL HAVE A NEW FACILITY IN LAWTON.

Ken Viera/Assoc. Lab Dir.: "It's a collaboration of the federal, state, local, and private enterprise to put together a testing airport where the commercial providers, commercial designers, builders can come and test their new platforms, or their new sensors or their new equipment or subsystems as they're called."

VIERA SAYS THERE'S A GROWING LIST OF NON-MILITARY APPLICATIONS FOR U-A-VS.

Ken Viera/Assoc. Lab Dir. "The Katrina disaster would have been a perfect scenario for UAVs to immediately launch and continue to circle over the city and collect information using thermal devices to find people."

SIMILAR TECHNOLOGY IS USED BATTLING FOREST FIRES.

UAV'S ALLOW THOSE DIRECTING OPERATIONS TO KNOW EXACTLY WHERE HOT SPOTS AND FIRE CREWS ARE WITHOUT SENDING UP MANNED AIRCRAFT.

Ken Viera/Assoc. Lab Dir. "Eventually we will probably see local police department having UAVs as part of their arsenal if you will to manage traffic, to manage disasters, to manage that which they do to protect and serve."

AND U-A-V'S ARE BECOMING MORE IMPORTANT TO THE MILITARY.

Rep. Mike Jackson/(R) Enid: "This is the first year that the military has actually trained more people to actually fly UAV's than they are for regular pilot training."

REP. MIKE JACKSON SAYS U-A-V's ARE A 25-BILLION DOLLAR A YEAR INDUSTRY TAILOR MADE FOR GROWING OKLAHOMA'S ECONOMY.

AND KEEPING OUR STATE ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF AEROSPACE TECHNOLOGY.

IN TULSA, I'M CATHY TATOM, THE OKLAHOMA NEWS REPORT.

Category:

News & Politics

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